This week, I’m playing a stupid amount of a racing game called Asphalt. Why? It’s Ferrari season.
I have loved Ferrari since I was five years old. More than two decades later, I’m still a long way from driving my own. I can, however, virtually test-drive all kinds of Ferraris — and that may be just as satisfying. It definitely feels good enough for today.
Sometimes, you need a halfway goal. A little milestone along the way.
The best thing about halfway goals is that they’ll feel halfway even if you’re a good distance from the 50%-marker. If I were to spend 200 € on owning a virtual Ferrari (or waste several dozen hours playing the game to get it), that’d still be 1000th the price of a real one. Would you spend 0.1% of your dream budget on gaining renewed inspiration to achieve it for a week, a month, or even a year? That could be a decent deal.
When you can’t travel the world, plan a local weekend trip as a reward for doing well this quarter. When you want to lose 20 pounds, buy a pretty blouse after you’ve lost five. And when you want to save six figures, take $100 and treat yourself after you’ve invested $10,000.
While halfway goals are fun to celebrate, they also provide a chance to check in with yourself: Why do you want to reach this goal? Is it still the same reason from when you started? Have you outgrown your destination on the journey, or does the finish line feel as meaningful as it did on day one? There’s no shame in letting go of goals that no longer serve you.
Even in those cases, halfway goals will be worth it. After all, they’ll now have to stand in for the real thing! You can’t achieve it all, and that’s okay. Thanks to your halfway goal, you’ll move the finish line closer, say farewell with a ritual, and be at peace with the steps you’ll never take.
For now, however, it’s still Ferrari season. The game isn’t over, and you have both real and virtual races to win. Now if you’ll excuse me — I think it’s time to play.